Sally Boy

by P. Vincent DeMartino

  “How you doing, Sally Boy?” Jimmy asked cheerfully.

  “What’s going on, Cheesy?” Sal responded casually.

  “I’m kinda in the middle of something here.”

  “I see that, Cheese. I’m prouda you!”

  “Thanks, Sal.”

  “Why ain’t you at Louie’s party?”

  “I was. This is my date.”

  “Cool!”

  “Hey Sal, any chance you could maybe give us a little privacy.”

  “Yeah, sure.”

  “Thanks, Sal.”

  “See you later, Cheese.”

  Just as Sal was about to step away from the car, he stuck his head back into the window. “Yo Cheese, lemme ask you something. You do know whose car this is, right?”

  “Yeah, it’s Ralphie Barbagallo’s. He won’t mind.”

  “You’re right, Ralphie wouldn’t mind. But this ain’t Ralphie’s car no more. Ralphie sold it to, Gino.”

  “This is Gino Scaparetti’s car?” Jimmy said fearfully.

  “You didn’t know that, huh?”

  “I thought it was Ralphie’s.”

  “I’m not telling you what to do or nothing. But if Gino catches you doing what you’re doing in his back seat, you’re gonna need like five doctors to put you back together again. Capisi?”

  “Yeah, thanks for the heads-up, Sal. Don’t worry, I’ll hurry up.”

  “Awright, take it easy, Cheese Balls.” Smiling at the uncomfortable looking girl, Sal said politely, “It was nice meeting...”

  Mikey forcefully shouldered Sal away from the car and stuck his head even farther into the window this time. “Hey Cheesy, I hope you ain’t planning on having any kids with this fucking broad?”

  Feeling like a circus freak side-show, the girl finally snapped, “Why shouldn’t we have kids?”

  “’Cause between the two a youse, your kid’s gonna be one scary, ugly, redheaded bastard!” Mikey stepped back from the car. “Fellas, after seeing those two Irish mutts fucking, I really need a drink.”

  The three swiftly covered the remaining half-a-block and finally arrived at the party. They entered a basement through a screen door into Frankie Knuckles parents’ house. The home was a well-maintained, two-family dwelling where many of the club’s parties were held. Frankie’s parents reluctantly allowed him to tear out some of the walls in the basement to accommodate the many people who showed up regularly for the social gatherings he hosted.

  The walls were now unpainted cinder-block, and there was a slight mildew odor present. One year ago, during a heavy rain storm, the basement was flooded. After tearing out all the water soaked sheetrock, Frankie and the guys cleaned up as best they could. Then they loaded the basement with discarded, but still very usable, sofas and love-seats, which they acquired from neighbors.

  Now the downstairs was a young man’s party paradise, complete with a new Victrolla, lots of records, and a refrigerator full of alcohol. Attending a party in Frankie’s basement was considered a rite of passage amongst the fellas, because over the year’s dozens of pretty girls from the neighborhood, and almost every one of the guys, had lost their virginity in Frankie’s basement.

  Sal, Mikey, and Anthony were greeted like movie stars as they made the rounds shaking hands and kissing girls. Taking note of the many couples that had already hooked up, Mikey stopped to watch as they passionately made-out, touched each other, and some doing quite a bit more, anywhere they could find a spot to sit or stand. Biting his balled-up fist in anticipation of his future conquest, Mikey tilted his head toward his friends and remarked, “M’m m’m m’m, check out all this sweet pussy.”

  Two attractive, young Italian girls standing within earshot, inadvertently overheard Mike’s disparaging comment. ”What did you just say?” the first girl asked condescendingly.

  “Didn’t your mother teach you no manners?” the second girl added, expressing a great deal of attitude.

  “What? I know youse ain’t talking to me like that,” Mikey responded in a threatening tone.

  As a precaution, Sal stepped in between Mike and the girls. “Look, I’m sorry youse heard that. He didn’t know youse was listening.”

  Rolling her eyes and smacking her lips the first girl sounded off, “That shouldn’t make a difference if we was listening or not. He shouldn’t say such stupid things.”

  Mike stuck his finger right in the girl’s faces and warned, “You better watch your fucking mouth, bitch. Don’t think ’cause you’re a girl I won’t fucking drop you.”

  “Take it easy, Mike. That ain’t gonna happen.” Holding back his friend, Sal turned toward the girls and respectfully suggested, “Listen, we’re all here to have a good time and wish Louie well, right? So why don’t youse have a drink, maybe go over there, and forget about what he said. Don’t let this ruin your night. Okay?”

  Impressed, the first girl remarked, “Finally, a gentleman amongst all this mess.”

  Seeing that Sal’s approach was effective, Anthony tried to follow his friend’s lead. “Sorry about him, girls. Mike don’t understand how sensitive girls are about their anomalies and stuff like that.”

  “What? What the hell are you talking about?” the second girl asked confused.

  Wedging his head right in between Anthony and the girls, Mikey shouted, “He’s talking about your pussies...your tits...your fuck-holes. Your anomalies! Get it?”

  “No, I wasn’t!” Anthony insisted, red-faced.

  “You’re an asshole! You know that? You’re all assholes,” the first girl shrieked. Then the two flustered females stormed off, shoving other guests out of their path.

  “Mikey, what the fuck’s wrong with you? What do you got, a fucking mental problem or something?”

  “Sal, I was just trying to have some fun.”

  “That’s your idea of fun?”

  Trying to save face, Anthony jumped in on the conversation. “Fuck those bitches, Sal! They got a super...superior...superiority complexion, anyways.”

  “Do you even know what the fuck that is?”

  “Kinda.” Anthony shrugged.

  “I know what that is, I’m ambidextrous,” Mikey declared, flashing a big grin.

  “What a pair of fucking cidrules. I can’t believe youse are my friends. C’mon, let’s find Louie.” Sal started to weave through the crowd then stopped. “Yo fellas, hold up. Remember last year when we was rumbling with that moulanyan gang, the Black Spades, over by the Botanical Gardens?”

  Mikey nodded. Anthony said, “Yeah, I remember. What the hell made you think about that?”

  “I don’t know. It just kinda popped into my head. I gotta tell you guys something. Something I ain’t never told nobody before.”

  “What?” Mike asked.

  “The rumble was just getting started and everybody was squaring off with somebody. You know what I’m talking about, right? That fucked up time right before the action starts, when you got those butterflies in your stomach and shit.”

  Anthony nodded. Mikey said, “Yeah.”

  “Anyways, somebody throws the first punch and all hell breaks loose. I end up fighting this one big, ugly fucking jigaboo. So I move in and hit him with two quick jabs right in his jaw. Bang! Bang!” Sal threw two lightning quick left jabs. “I don’t even think the moulanyan knew what fucking hit him. ’Cause I’m bobbing and weaving and he’s just standing there bleeding. So I move in again and pop him two more times. Now, the fucking nigga’s bleeding like a stuffed pig. I almost felt bad for the monkey. I even thought about ditching his ass to find somebody else to fight. At least that’s what I was about to do, when the spook pulled out this big fucking blade tucked in his belt, from behind his back.”

  “Blade? That rumble was supposed to be skin-on-skin.”

  “I know. But try telling that to some crazy fucking coon swinging a big knife. He wasn’t in the mood for talking. Anyways, the shine has this huge blade and all I’m holding is my fucking brascholl. So he comes at me fast, trying to
stick me, but I make him miss and take him down. Now the spear-chucker’s on top of me. He starts to come down with the knife and I grab his arm. I’m holding him off pretty good, but I can feel my arm starting to give. I thought it was all over for me, man. That was the first time I was ever really scared in a fight. Just as the tip of the blade was about to go into my chest, from outta nowhere, somebody pulls the tutsoon offa me and cracks him with a fucking pipe. I’m telling you that darkies head split open like a fucking watermelon. I look up, and there’s Louie standing there smiling, with that big stupid grin of his. I’ll never forget what Louie did for me that night. I owe Rag’s my life.”

  “I woulda saved your ass, Sal. But I was busy fighting three fucking jungle-bunnies myself,” Mikey declared, in a slighted tone.

  “I’m not trying to say nothing. I’m just saying.”

  “How come you never told us that story before?”

  “It never came up, Anthony.”

  “That’s all you got to say?” Mikey yelled and got right up into Sal’s face. “It never came up.”

  Pushing his friend away, Sal shouted, “What’s your fucking problem, Mike?”

  “I ain’t got no problem. I was just wondering if there was anything else you never told us.”

  “Are you fucking kidding me?”

  “He’s got a point, Sal.”

  “You too, Anthony? What the fuck’s wrong with youse?”

  “Is there anything else, Sal?” Mike asked again, loudly.

  “No!”

  “You sure?”

  “Yeah, I’m sure. But if I should happen to think of something, youse’ll be the first ones to know. Awright?”

  Looking up through the sea of people, Mikey could see Louie’s face above the tops of the heads of the shorter guests. “Hey, there’s Louie. He’s over there.”

  “C’mon, let’s go,” Sal said with a smile.

  The three then proceeded to squeeze, push, and contort their way through the mass of bodies. As they got closer, they could see Louie’s girlfriend, Anna-Marie, sitting on a sofa next to him, crying into her tissue laden hands. Two of her close friends sat on either side of her, trying in vain to console her. One girl gently stroked Anna-Marie’s hair, while the other girl rubbed her back, but nothing seemed to ease the girl’s sorrows.

  Everybody in the neighborhood thought of Louie Ragossa and Anna-Marie DeAngelo as the perfect couple. They were truly in love and virtually inseparable since they met two years ago at a school dance. Anna-Marie, or “A.M.” as her friends called her, was a sweet, kind, academically-gifted girl. She got straight A’s and she adored children and animals. Her dream was to go to college to become a veterinarian and raise a family of her own one day.

  Widely regarded as the quintessential class-clown and an all-around great guy, Louie routinely made everyone laugh with his impressions of famous actors, friends, and neighborhood characters. Standing over six feet, Louie had a medium-build, dark brown hair, and bedroom eyes. Like most of the fellas in the neighborhood, he wasn’t very interested in school and only sporadically showed up for class.

  Knowing college wasn’t in his future, Louie studied very hard and took the test to become a fireman. He scored extremely well and was waiting to be called by the F.D.N.Y. when he got his draft notice. Louie planned to propose to his girlfriend after he was accepted into the fire-fighter academy. His dream was to marry Anna-Marie and buy a house upstate in WestchesterCounty. So much for the best laid plans of mice and men.

  Greeting his good friend with a big hug, Sal kissed him on the cheek. “Rags, how you doing, pisan?”

  “I’m doing good, Sally Boy. Hey, thanks for coming to say good-bye,” Louie responded in a sentimental tone.

  “Are you fucking kidding me? I love you like a brother, you silly bastard. Come here.” Sal grabbed Louie and hugged him tightly once more.

  “What the fuck, Rags.” Anthony hugged Louie. “Why would you think we wasn’t gonna show? You’re a fucking legend in the neighborhood. Nobody’s ever gonna forget you.”

  “Thanks, Ant.”

  “Well, it ain’t like you ever saved me and Anthony’s life. Still, we never woulda skipped out on you.” Mikey slapped Louie on the shoulder and shook his hand.

  Seeming perplexed, Louie responded in kind, “Yeah, thanks, Mikey.”

  “Good luck in Vietnam. I feel sorry for those little yellow bastards with you over there.”

  “Yeah, save some of those little cocksuckers for us, huh?” Anthony feebly joked.

  “Yeah, I will.” Nervously, Louie peeked down at his still crying girlfriend. “Look fellas, I don’t mean to sound like a jerk-off or nothing, but would youse mind if we talked later? I ain’t really paid any attention to A.M. all night.”

  Although he knew his friend was lying, Sal smiled and shook his hand anyway. “Yeah sure, we got all night, right? You take carea yourself, Louie.”

  Louie winked at Sal and shook his hand. “Thanks. You too, Sally Boy.”

  “Yeah, we’ll see youse later, Rags. Take care.”

  “Awright, Mikey.”

  “See you later, Louie.” Anthony shook Louie’s hand hard.

  Once more, the three fought their way back through to the center of the room. Confident they were far enough away, Mikey grabbed Sal’s arm. “You see that, Sal? That’s why I don’t go steady with just one broad. All they do is ruin your good time and keep you from hanging out with your buddies. They fuck up everything.”

  “Whatever you say, Mikey,” Sal remarked sarcastically. “She’s beautiful, smart, and she loves him so much she can’t stop crying. Yeah, I can see how she’s really fucking up his night.”

  As he scanned the room, Anthony’s eyes were drawn to a dark corner where three very attractive girls sat together, casually talking on a love-seat. Recognizing the blonde sitting in the middle, Anthony smiled. “Yo fellas, guess who made it to the party?”

  “Who?” Mikey asked.

  “Nicole.”

  “Where is she?” Sal inquired eagerly.

  “Over there.” Anthony discretely nodded in Nicole’s direction.

  Trying not to appear obvious, Sal nonchalantly turned in her direction. Even though Sal was infatuated with Nicole, he believed, with good reason, that his feelings for her were immaterial. Like everyone else, he thought Nicole and Sonny were in a serious relationship. Now that Philly C explained the truth behind their phony romance, Sal was determined not to let this opportunity escape him.

  Craftily ducking behind people to conceal his presence and shield his impassioned stare, Sal intently studied every inch of the blonde bombshell. Every time Nicole moved, her long, luxurious, strawberry blonde hair swayed like wheat in a windblown field. The delicate features of her flawless face were only enhanced by her shimmering blue eyes and alabaster skin. When Nicole shifted in her seat to find a more comfortable position, her skirt rose up enough to highlight her shapely legs, and provide a glimpse of her round derriere. Although she immediately adjusted her attire, Sal could already feel his glorious manhood stirring beneath his jeans.

  As Nicole and her friends talked, one of her girlfriends told a joke that made Nicole laugh causing her hair to fall into her eyes. When she tossed back her hair, her head lifted slightly, and she made direct eye contact with Sal through the sea of faces. Instantly, Nicole’s face lit up and she smiled warmly.

  “Jesus Christ! I don’t fucking believe it,” Anthony cried out jealously.

  “Take it easy, Anthony. She just smiled at him. That don’t mean nothing. She’s a fucking cheerleader. They smile at everybody,” Mikey rudely pointed out.

  Excitedly, Nicole motioned Sal to come to her.

  “Madonn! You lucky fucking bastard.” Mikey shook his head in disbelief. “I never woulda believed it if I didn’t see it with my own eyes.”

  “I thought youse guys was supposed be my best friends,” Sal remarked disappointed in their lack of faith. “I never woulda lied to youse. Never! And just for the rec
ord, Mike. Luck’s got nothing to do with it. I’ll see youse later. I got better things to do than waste my time hanging out with you two jerk-offs.”

  “Sal, where you going?” Anthony foolishly asked.

  “Where do you think genius?”

  As Sal stepped toward Nicole, Anthony reached out trying to grab hold of his sleeve. “Don’t do it, Sal. She ain’t worth the trouble.”

  Sal pulled his arm away and continued toward Nicole.

  “I don’t know what he’s getting all bent outta shape about?” Mikey said shrugging. “I didn’t mean nothing by that. No sense in us just standing around watching, right? There’s plenty of pussy here for everybody.”

  “Yeah, I’ll see you later. I think I saw Marissa sitting all alone.” The two then turned and went their separate ways.

  The basement was dimly lit, smoky, and steaming with raging hormones as the party shifted into full swing. Everyone was drinking heavily and the bullshit was piling up. Joyful laughter emanated from every small, huddled group. Couples slow grinded in the center of the room. A girl slapped the face of a guy whose ideas of romance weren’t to her liking. Over in the corner a minor scrap flared up over a female but was quickly broken up. Joints were being passed around and several of the more inexperienced drinkers raced outside to throw up.

  Finally, battling his way through the crowd, Sal stood before Nicole. “How you doing, Nicole?” he asked in his sexiest voice.

  As if planned, Nicole’s two friends receded silently into the background.

  “I’m doing much better now,” Nicole answered softly.

  Smiling, Sal asked coyly, “Oh, yeah. Why is that?”

  “Well, I was hoping you were going to show up, and now you’re here.”

  “You was waiting for me?”

  “Yes, I was. Aren’t you going to sit down?”

  “Sure.” Taking a seat right next to her, Sal asked, “So was you waiting long?”

  “Not too long.”

  “Good. Are you having a good time, Nicole?”

  “I’m having a great time. What about you?”